In 2014, after I finished high school, I went to England as an au pair. I organised the whole trip by myself. I found my host family through AuPairWold, a website au pairs and families can use to connect.
Then, when I had found a family, the adventure began. I booked my flight to London where my family picked me up and we drove to their home in a village in the surroundings of the capital. The next day, I took a train and went to London. For the first time ever and alone. I was a bit homesick but still had an amazing time! It was a hot summer’s day and I took a contemporary dance class at Pineapple Dance Studios for the first time. I had a really good time. The day after that, my host family and I already moved to Cornwall. It’s crazy to think about it in retrospect that I just met strangers in a foreign country, where I then had a day of sightseeing alone before moving house across country with them.
What’s more, on the drive to Cornwall we visited some family of my host family for a few hours and then the baby (which I looked after during my time as an au pair) fell ill and we spent a few hours at a hospital waiting to see a doctor. At night, we finally arrived in Cornwall where we stayed with a friend of my host family for the first three nights.
Eventually, we settled into my host family’s, and my, new home though and my time as an au pair officially began. I loved the child and the countryside. Due to a few reasons I left after 4.5 months instead of a year though. It wasn’t an easy decision, especially as the child was just amazing but, overall, it was better that way. In short, I always explain it like this: The time I spent there was good as it was but after 4.5 months it was time for me to go. It was just the perfect length of time, not less not more would have made it better.
Here are some photos of the time I spent in England/Cornwall now:
Steffi's Studio 